So you’re a CD Doyle Clinic Volunteer…
Congratulations! You are continuing a meaningful and worthwhile legacy of serving the most vulnerable community in Austin. The CD Doyle Clinic was founded in 2011 by a group of UTMB medical students. The name CD Doyle was chosen to honor a close friend of the clinic’s original directors, who passed away from Ewing’s Sarcoma soon before the clinic saw its first patients. These founders envisioned a clinic dedicated to serving the health needs of Austin’s uninsured and underserved. We hope this manual will enable future generations of students to continue this legacy.
Experiencing the Clinic
One of the greatest aspects of volunteering at CD Doyle is the vast opportunity for mentorship and education. Our undergraduate volunteers are a diverse group of premedical, pre-PA, nursing, and social work students working together to provide quality patient care. Take advantage of this opportunity to foster mentorship with the next generation of healthcare providers. Grab a name tag. Introduce yourself. Ask the undergrads what their career goals are. Give them tips and advice on test taking, applications, and interviews. Get to know one another.
One of the joys of having undergraduate volunteers is that they streamline the clinic process so medical students can get down to the heart of each patient’s complaint. Undergraduate volunteers will obtain and present each patient’s HPI, PMHx, FHx, SHx, and vitals signs. Then it’s up to you to do a quick ROS and jump into the physical exam. Provide undergrads with tips on how to better present patients (this will help you as well!) and don’t be afraid of a little friendly pimping. Sometimes it all starts with “What do you think is going on?” and ends with “ So how do you want to treat?”
Familiarize yourself with the supplies available at the clinic so you can create a plan of care for the patient. Start gathering supplies while waiting to see the attending.
Physical exams are conducted in private rooms. If you see, hear, feel, or smell something interesting, ask the patient if it’s all right to have other students appreciate these findings. Then spread that Osler love with some good old-fashioned bedside teaching.
As you teach, you’ll notice gaps in your own knowledge. Great! This is a chance to look up information in a low-pressure environment. Once you’ve got a concept down, teach it to others. You’ll never forget it and neither will they.
Humanism in Medicine
Because the clinic runs so efficiently, feel free to take time with your patients. Ask their story, where they’re from, how they got here. Remember, no one is born on the street. Every patient has a place they once called home, a place that’s tied to their identity. Find out what the place is. That is the joy of CD Doyle.
CD Doyle welcomes you!
Congratulations! You are continuing a meaningful and worthwhile legacy of serving the most vulnerable community in Austin. The CD Doyle Clinic was founded in 2011 by a group of UTMB medical students. The name CD Doyle was chosen to honor a close friend of the clinic’s original directors, who passed away from Ewing’s Sarcoma soon before the clinic saw its first patients. These founders envisioned a clinic dedicated to serving the health needs of Austin’s uninsured and underserved. We hope this manual will enable future generations of students to continue this legacy.
Experiencing the Clinic
One of the greatest aspects of volunteering at CD Doyle is the vast opportunity for mentorship and education. Our undergraduate volunteers are a diverse group of premedical, pre-PA, nursing, and social work students working together to provide quality patient care. Take advantage of this opportunity to foster mentorship with the next generation of healthcare providers. Grab a name tag. Introduce yourself. Ask the undergrads what their career goals are. Give them tips and advice on test taking, applications, and interviews. Get to know one another.
One of the joys of having undergraduate volunteers is that they streamline the clinic process so medical students can get down to the heart of each patient’s complaint. Undergraduate volunteers will obtain and present each patient’s HPI, PMHx, FHx, SHx, and vitals signs. Then it’s up to you to do a quick ROS and jump into the physical exam. Provide undergrads with tips on how to better present patients (this will help you as well!) and don’t be afraid of a little friendly pimping. Sometimes it all starts with “What do you think is going on?” and ends with “ So how do you want to treat?”
Familiarize yourself with the supplies available at the clinic so you can create a plan of care for the patient. Start gathering supplies while waiting to see the attending.
Physical exams are conducted in private rooms. If you see, hear, feel, or smell something interesting, ask the patient if it’s all right to have other students appreciate these findings. Then spread that Osler love with some good old-fashioned bedside teaching.
As you teach, you’ll notice gaps in your own knowledge. Great! This is a chance to look up information in a low-pressure environment. Once you’ve got a concept down, teach it to others. You’ll never forget it and neither will they.
Humanism in Medicine
Because the clinic runs so efficiently, feel free to take time with your patients. Ask their story, where they’re from, how they got here. Remember, no one is born on the street. Every patient has a place they once called home, a place that’s tied to their identity. Find out what the place is. That is the joy of CD Doyle.
CD Doyle welcomes you!
